Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-13
DAILY HERALD.
ORPHANS HOME.
Annual Meeting at the First
Presbyterian Church.


Presbyterian Church.
The annual meeting of the Orphans
Home took place yesterday evening a
the First Presbyterian church, ON the
corner of Second and Fort streets
President, Mrs. G. D. Stevens, in the
chair. There were not so many pres
ent as there should have been wher
the object of the meeting is taken into
consideration, but the children, in
mates of the Home, aided in filling W
the main body of the church. There
were in the neighborhood of forty
children ranging from 5 years up.
wards to IA, and the smaller portion
had hard work to keep their eyes
open after 8 o'clock, in fact some OF
them succumbed to their drowsiness
and became profoundly unconscious
of the events transpiring around
them. Taken as u whole they
showed that they had been given good
care and were being properly trained.
The manner in which their eyes fol-
lowed the movements of their matron
showed how she had endeared herself
to them and how well satisfied they
were at the treatment received at her
hands. The evenings exercises
opened with an organ voluntary by
by Miss Martin after which Mrs. M.
E. Gibson read u scr!ptural selection
and offered the opening prayer. Mrs.
Beeson then Sang the 'sl<erry Dancers
after the children had sung "Happy
dear friends we are." Many of the
children seemed to take great in
terest in the musical exercises and the
older ones listened to the reports OF
the officers of the society with I'M
wavering attention. The treasurer
Mrs. B. F. Coulter's report showed
that the society was in a good financial
standing, some $5 1907 .85 being in bank
at the present time. Mrs. K. H..
Hewitt, the Financial Secretary, read
report which stated that during the
year the receipts had been 1926. Al
and the expenses $8,538.45. Since
her report some $400 had been hand
ed in and matters appeared to be quite
satisfactory as regards the payment of
subscriptions. Mrs. A. S. Averill read
DR.. Bicknell's report for the year. DIR.
Bicknell reported that he had found
the sanitary condition of the Home in
good condition up to February, and
until that time there was no cause for
prescription. In February the
measles broke out, and at one time
forty-six of the children were afflicted
with this disease. No provision had
been made at the Home for such an
occurrence as this, and there was a
scarcity of rooms which could be used
for hospital purposes. In consequence,
those rooms which were at all fitted
were overcrowded, and at one time
the small people were threatened with
more serious disorders. Fortunately
those that were taken down first be-
came convalescent at this time, and
were removed. Not only did the
measles attack the children, but at
the same time chicken-pox and
whooping-cough broke out, and
for some time the matron
and her assistants had their
hands full Three of the children
died and one of the inmates of the
nursery also succumbed. At the pres
ent time the best of health prevails,
and DR.. Bicknell stated that the prev
alence of the disease in no way re-
flected upon the condition OF the
home or its surroundings. 1t was
simply an outbreak of those diseases
to which children are subject, and the
manner in which the matron and her
assistants, and the officers and men,
bers of the society conducted affairs
at this crisis was praiseworthy in the
extreme.
Mrs. G. D. Stevens, president of the
home, read a very interesting report
in which she stated that since the in
stitution of the home 293 children had
been admitted. Of these 1876 were
boys and 10S girls. During the past
year So had been admitted. The need
for new building had become imper-
ative, owing to the growth of the num-
Der of children consigned to its care.
The directors had been advised to
build fre-proof building, with plen-
ty of room, sufficient to accommodate
200 children at once. To do this it would
require about 10000, of which $22,-
600 had already been subscribed.
Mrs. Stevens was certain that this
balance would be raised without any
great difficulty, especially since it was
becoming known how much good was
being done by the Home. She asked
those desiring to subscribe to send the
amounts to the managers or officers as
soon as possible. She thought that a
mistake had been.made in naming the
society, and that it should have been
made in naming the society, and that
it should have been called the South
ern California Orphans Home, for
homeless children are received not
only from this city but from other
counties, which she thought should
take as much interest in providing for
a new building as is taken here. An
inspection of the record shows that a
large proportion of the children come
from other places in this part OF the
State. The object of the Home was
to receive and provide for children
without parents and for children
whose parents are unable to support
them. When old enough good homes
are provided for them and the good
work done in the past gave all much
satisfaction, besides promising well
for the future.
The meeting then proceeded to the
election of officers. Mrs. &. ID. Ste
vens was reelected President as also
was Mrs. M. A. Gibson elected Vice.
President. Mrs. Fitch, Mrs. M. A.
Gibson and Mrs. Pomeroy were ap-
pointed committee to nominate the
balance of the officers. The commit
tee reported for election: Recording
Secretary, Mrs. S. r. Dupuy; Finan-
cial Secretary, Mrs. r. Fl. Hewitt; f;
Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. A. 5.
Averill; Treasurer, Mrs. b. f. Coul-
ter; Board OF Managers, Mrs. r. A.
.McManus, Mrs. A. L. Pomeroy, Mrs.
ii. II. Maynard, Mrs. Bouton, Mrs.
VIM. Ferguson, Mrs. Geo. Fitch, Mrs.
yValdop Mrs J. ID. Bicknell. Mrs,